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Baltic 142 Canova, when foiling becomes a matter of comfort

Baltic 142 Canova uses a DSS foil to reduce heel and pitching, combining comfort, speed and advanced technology across 43 metres

A nine-metre foil, electric propulsion and hydro-generation make Canova an unconventional approach to bluewater superyacht cruising

Running beneath the owner’s suite of Baltic 142 Canova is a nine-metre carbon foil. It is not there to lift the yacht clear of the water, nor to turn a 43-metre bluewater cruiser into an extreme racing machine. Its purpose is arguably more relevant to long-distance sailing: helping the yacht remain more upright while reducing motion at sea.

That single piece of technology says a great deal about Canova. Built in carbon by Baltic Yachts and delivered in 2019, the 43.30-metre sailing yacht brings performance, autonomy, comfort and advanced engineering together around one central idea: travelling long distances efficiently without making life on board unnecessarily demanding.

A foil designed to stabilise rather than fly

Canova uses the Dynamic Stability System, DSS, developed by Infiniti Yachts. Unlike the foils associated with the most radical forms of competitive sailing, this system is not designed to raise the entire hull above the surface.

Instead, a transverse foil slides through a cassette incorporated into the lower section of the hull. When deployed to leeward, water flowing across its profile generates lift and creates a powerful righting moment.

According to Baltic Yachts, testing showed that the DSS could reduce heel by as much as 34% and pitching by up to 40%. Sailing upwind, the yard reports heel angles of approximately 15 to 16 degrees with the foil deployed, compared with around 22 degrees without it.

The difference becomes particularly noticeable on board

On a racing yacht, a few degrees less heel may primarily translate into better performance. On a 43-metre cruising yacht, it can transform everyday life at sea.

Walking across the deck, preparing a meal, resting below deck or simply spending hours under sail becomes considerably easier when floors and working surfaces are not permanently tilted at a steep angle.

This is where Canova gives foil technology a rather different role from the one normally associated with high-speed competition.

During the yacht’s early passages, Baltic Yachts reported a substantial reduction in pitching and yaw in difficult sea conditions. Crossing the Bay of Biscay, Canova also sailed at around 24 knots while remaining remarkably upright with the DSS deployed.

Forty-three metres built around weight efficiency

Canova was developed through a collaboration involving Farr Yacht Design for naval architecture, Baltic Yachts and Lucio Micheletti, responsible for exterior styling and interior design.

The yacht is built in advanced carbon composites and has a displacement of 146.5 tonnes. She measures 43.30 metres overall, 41.60 metres on the waterline and carries a substantial nine-metre beam. Controlling weight therefore became an essential part of the project rather than simply a performance exercise.

Integrating the DSS into the structure presented another significant engineering challenge. The foil passes beneath the owner’s accommodation while generating considerable loads when deployed. Baltic and Farr worked alongside specialists including Gurit, BAR Technologies and Isotop to engineer the foil, bearings and surrounding carbon structure.

Performance technology without turning cruising into racing

One of Canova’s most interesting contradictions is that much of her technology comes from high-performance sailing, yet its purpose is to make ocean cruising easier.

Her carbon rig, powerful sail plan and DSS allow the yacht to maintain impressive speeds over long distances. Reports following delivery recorded speeds of approximately 24 to 25 knots during offshore passages.

The foil contributes to that performance, but its effect on stability may be more significant for the people on board.

It represents a subtle change of philosophy: taking technology developed around speed and using it to reduce fatigue.

Generating electricity while sailing

Innovation continues below deck with a sophisticated diesel-electric propulsion system combined with hydro-generation.

Canova is equipped with a 420 kW electric propulsion motor and lithium-ion battery banks. While sailing, the propeller can operate as a hydro-generator, feeding electricity back into the batteries. Baltic Yachts says the system can generate up to approximately 35 kW and allows the yacht to operate for extended periods in a quiet mode with less reliance on diesel generators.

For a yacht conceived for ocean crossings and extended periods away from shore-based infrastructure, the principle is particularly relevant. It does not eliminate fossil fuels entirely, but it reduces dependency by harvesting energy from something already available whenever conditions permit: the yacht’s movement through the water.

Living spaces follow the same philosophy

Technology has not come at the expense of life on board. Canova accommodates her owner, guests and crew across an owner’s suite, three guest cabins and four crew cabins. A large deck saloon and an equally generous cockpit protected by an extended solid bimini create a strong connection between interior and exterior living areas.

Weight reduction extends into the accommodation, where lightweight structures and composite materials were incorporated wherever appropriate.

The engineering, however, rarely dominates the atmosphere. Much of it remains hidden behind the finished surfaces, doing its job without asking guests to live inside what feels like an experimental yacht.

That may be one of Canova’s most convincing achievements.

Canova offers a different vision of the sailing superyacht

Seven years after her launch, Baltic 142 Canova remains an unusual technical proposition. In 2020 she was named Sailing Yacht of the Year at the World Superyacht Awards, where judges highlighted her diesel-electric propulsion, hydro-generation and pioneering DSS installation.

As of August 2026, Canova has also entered the brokerage market with an asking price of €29.8 million. Yet her lasting relevance goes beyond her current value. She demonstrates one possible direction for the evolution of large sailing yachts: applying sophisticated technology not simply to travel faster, but to make long-distance sailing calmer, more efficient and easier to live with.

Here, the foil is not about spectacle.

It works almost invisibly beneath the water, reducing heel and motion while 43 metres of carbon yacht continue sailing across the sea.

That understated use of technology may ultimately be what makes Canova so distinctive.

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Baltic Yachts, Baltic 142 Canova

12 Agosto 2026
© Redazione MED Yachting
Baltic 142 Canova, when foiling becomes a matter of comfort
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Le informazioni contenute in questo articolo sono tratte e rielaborate da fonti ufficiali e/o comunicati stampa, nel rispetto del codice etico redazionale.